Midwest Review Finds ‘Beyond Grimm’ Shockingly Funny

Midwest Book Review delights in Alan S. Kessler’s Beyond Grimm: Stories & Rhymes from the Dark Corners of Fairyland (Not for Children), calling it “shockingly funny with touches of horror, irreverence and snark.” Don’t miss this perfect Halloween read!

The reviewer states:

Most of the stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were cautionary tales that were more than a little rough around the edges. … While Disney toned down these tales, making them kid-friendly, Alan Kessler has gone in the opposite direction, warning readers in the subtitle of his book, Beyond Grimm, that his work is not for children, and utilizing ancient tales and poems as a springboard for his own twisted takes. If the essence of humor is surprise, Kessler's work could be described as shockingly funny with touches of horror, irreverence, and snark. … Kessler is not only skilled at putting a brilliant, dark twist on a tale, but he can beautifully string a sentence together. Kali Kahn's offbeat illustrations perfectly compliment Kessler's twisted takes on ancient stories and poems, creating in "Beyond Grimm" a winning collection for fairy tale aficionados, fans of well-written light horror, and lovers of dark humor.

Congratulations to author Alan Kessler!